Nockalm Quintett

Renowned among the foremost volkstümliche musik ensembles of their generation, the Austrian schlagerband Nockalm Quintett accumulated an extensive catalog of chart successes and honors alongside dozens of albums. Although active throughout much of the 1980s with steady album output, the group achieved its first notable breakthroughs only in 1987 via the singles “Drei Finger aufs Herz” and “Gib Mir als Souvenir ein Kleines Bild von Dir,” which positioned the band as an emerging force within Austria’s volkstümliche musik landscape. Two years afterward, “Spiel Nie mit dem Feuer” claimed victory on the televised ZDF-Superhitparade, elevating the accompanying album Liebe, Träume und Musik (1989) to the ensemble’s strongest commercial showing to that point and establishing the Nockalm Quintett thereafter as one of the era’s, and arguably all-time, most dominant volkstümliche acts.

Following “Spiel Nie mit dem Feuer,” an unbroken sequence of hits ensued, highlighted by “Aus Tränen Wird ein Schmetterling” (1990), “Schuld Sind Deine Himmelblauen Augen” (1991), “Und in der Nacht, Da Brauch I Di zum Träumen” (1992), “Nur a Tanz und Dann a Busserl” (1993), “Schwarzer Sand von Santa Cruz” (1993), “Und Über Rhodos Küß’ Ich Dich” (1994), “Wir Greifen Nach den Sternen” (1996; featuring Andrea Jürgens), “My Love” (1999; featuring Monika Martin), “Sag Nochmal, Ich Liebe Dich” (2000), “Dort auf Wolke 7” (2002; Grand Prix der Volksmusik winner), “Die Kleine Insel Zärtlichkeit” (2003), “Halleluja Day” (2003), “Amadeus in Love” (2005), “Einsam Wie Napoleon” (2006), and “Volle Kanne Sehnsucht” (2007).

Originating in 1982 in Millstatt, Kärnten, Austria, and taking its name from Die Nockberge (also known as Die Gurktaler Alpen), the lineup comprises Gottfried Würcher (vocals; born October 24, 1958, in Untertweng), Wilfried Wiederschwinger (bass guitar, saxophone, vocals; July 29, 1958; Bad Kleinkirchheim), Edmund Wallensteiner (bass guitar, guitar, vocals; June 9, 1962; Lienz), Dietmar Zwischenberger (drums, trumpet; July 22, 1962; Fragant), Arnd Herröder (keyboards; born September 9, 1972; Giessen, Germany), Markus Holzer (guitar; July 14, 1972; Klagenfurt), and Siegfried Willmann (drums, vocals; February 12, 1969; Graz).

During the mid- to late 1980s the Nockalm Quintett issued Mit Polkaschwung und Walzerklang, Rund um Bad Kleinkirchheim, Musik für Alle, Quer Durch’s Alpenland, Drei Finger aufs Herz, Fünf Gute Freunde, and Mein Herz Sagt Ja..., with exact release dates undocumented, while billing itself as the Orig. Nackalm Quintett. Popularity mounted across the decade, yielding the first major successes with the 1987 singles already noted and reaching a peak with Liebe, Träume und Musik in 1989; that release generated the popular tracks “Wann Kommst Du Wieder” and “Spiel Nie mit dem Feuer,” the latter victorious on ZDF-Superhitparade, and its momentum carried into Aus Tränen Wird ein Schmetterling (1990), which attained platinum certification.

Continued ascent followed as the title song from Schuld Sind Deine Himmelblauen Augen (1991) entered the Grand Prix der Volksmusik competition; a holiday set, Von Weihnacht zu Weihnacht (1991), appeared late that year to meet surging demand. After Der Sommerwind Will Keine Tränen Seh’n (1992) and Schwarzer Sand von Santa Cruz (1993) reached Austrian album-chart positions 18 and 24, the band delivered Nockalm Gold (1993), an 18-track retrospective that logged 40 weeks on the chart, attained number one in 1994, and was certified three-times platinum by 1995—the first occasion any volkstümliche musik act had topped the Austrian albums chart. A matching video collection also appeared in 1993.

Subsequent releases Und Über Rhodos Küß’ Ich Dich (1994), Sternenhimmelgefühl (1995), Zärtliche Gefühle (1996), and Das Wunder von Piräus (1997) each performed strongly, landing at numbers two, five, eight, and three and prompting the follow-up compilation Nockalm Platin (1997). Periodic greatest-hits packages such as Die Schönsten Schlager-Klassiker: Highlights of Love (2000), Rose der Nacht (2001), 20 Jahre auf Wolke 7 (2002), and Wir Greifen Nach den Sternen (2005), together with seasonal offerings Weihnachten mit dem Nockalm Quintett (2000) and Nockalm Weihnacht (2003), supplemented the steady stream of annual new studio albums. Those studio sets consistently entered at least the Austrian Top Ten and frequently the Top Five: Der Himmel Spielte Hollywood (1998; number seven), Casablanca für Immer (1999; number two), Vom Winde Verweht (2000; number two), Gladiator (2001; number seven), Das Mädchen Atlantis (2002; number six), Die Kleine Insel Zärtlichkeit (2003; number one), Prinz Rosenherz (2004; number one), Amadeus in Love (2005; number two), Einsam Wie Napoleon (2006; number one), and Volle Kanne Sehnsucht (2007; number one). Beginning with Das Mädchen Atlantis in 2002, the albums also registered in Germany, typically between positions 40 and 70.